The "Writing in Cursive...A Lost Art" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking through my wife's Mother's Day greeting cards she had received this year before we pitched them in the trash can.  She had a variety of cards from our three children, myself and one from our grandson, Caden.  I read each one, one more time, but when I came to Caden's card I noticed something different.  He had placed his name on the bottom of the card by printing it; not in cursive!  I asked my wife  if she noticed that he had printed his name instead of writing it.  Yes, she had noticed it also.  Later on Mother's Day, after all our visitors had left to go home, I began reading the Sunday newspaper that had sat on the couch, neglected due to having to help prepare a meal for Mother's Day.  I opened to a section that featured stories by local high school students when all of a sudden one of the headlines struck me; "Cursive must be taught in schools."  So that's what I had noticed about Caden's card he had given to his grandmother.  He had printed his name instead of writing it.  Why would he do that?, I thought.  Carol and I came to the conclusion that he was never taught how to write in cursive!  A little over 4 years ago I wrote about people who don't know how to write in cursive, but I now know the answer.  Most public schools in the United States no longer require cursive to be taught in school.  The state of Pennsylvania, where I live, as well as the neighboring state of New Jersey removed the cursive mandate from their elementary curricula over eleven years ago.  And...that is the reason Caden doesn't know how to write his name in cursive.  My guess is that there will be a time in his life when he has to sign some sort of official document and will not be able to do so.  Or...maybe his phone and computer will not work and he won't be able to communicate.  

Not because he doesn't want to, but because he doesn't know how to write in cursive.  The story in the newspaper today was written by Syanna Duval, a 10th grader at nearby Garden Spot High School, who writes that some people might argue that teaching cursive is a waste of time or that it's old-fashioned.  She tells that she struggles many times when trying to read original historical texts or letters written in cursive.  She goes on to tell her readers that some people thing that cursive is a waste of time or too old-fashioned and outdated.  She believes it is a teacher's job to arrange their lessons in such a way that they can cover everything that's required in the curriculum and there should be a mandate that cursive is taught in school.  Do you remember learning cursive when you were in school?  If you graduated before the year 2000 you probably were taught cursive.  But, since it has been removed from elementary schoolrooms about 10 years ago, you probably write everything by printing it.  Professor Steven Graham, educator at Arizona State University, pointed out that some states were cursive is mandated require only 45 minutes per week.  Now, what elementary school child can learn anything in 45 minutes a week.  Then there are those that say students don't need to learn cursive since society doesn't require you write anything by hand anymore.  That's what a computer or phone is for!  And...a computer or phone prints letters.  Could be that if they returned cursive to the elementary curriculum, more students would see no need to be staring at a screen all day long as they have to do today.  Experts seem to agree that young students need to engage with real texts and items to manipulate.  

Learning you uppercase letters

We need to be writing with our hands, not just mindlessly clicking keystrokes on a computer. Syanna believes it is every educator's goal to equip their students with valuable skills that will benefit them in school and in life.....regardless of the hassle, headache or time commitment needed to get there.  She ends her story with..."Even if some educators do not think that cursive is particularly necessary or not applicable anymore, then maybe they can just think of it as equipping their kids with another life skill that modern students can carry in their educational toolbox.  BRAVO Syanna Duval!  I too feel it is the teacher's and school district's job to teach cursive writing so generations in the future don't have to rely on printing something rather than writing it in cursive.  And, a big Thank You to my grandson for making it necessary to write my story today telling of the need for all students to learn cursive writing.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - I only wish I could have written this story in cursive instead of printing it.  Maybe something computer companies can strive to do for the future.  Wouldn't that be interesting?

Go ahead...give it a try!